What Raphaël does

Raphaël is the cosmetics division of Max Sauer SAS, a privately held French fine brush manufacturer founded in 1793 and family-controlled since 1859. The company designs and manufactures bespoke and private-label makeup brushes for the global beauty industry, operating from a 180-employee Made-in-France site in Saint-Brieuc and a 600-employee integrated manufacturing facility in Mauritius. Combined annual output is approximately 15 million brushes serving customers in 60 countries, with roughly half of revenue from export markets.

Raphaël's offering spans custom brush collections (minimum order quantity 3,000 units), a standard catalog with private-label marking options, branded accessories (cases, sponges, sharpeners), and a virucidal brush cleaner. Each brush passes through more than 30 manual crafting steps covering fiber treatment, ferrule electroplating, woodworking, varnishing, and quality control. Differentiated products include the patented square-section HD Brush, the Ocean Brush made from recycled oyster shells and bioplastics, the ferrule-less Green Earth Line, and the FRENCH KISS double-ended lip brush. The company serves two principal segments — global luxury beauty brands (Dior, Guerlain, Lancôme, YSL, Make Up For Ever, Estée Lauder, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino) and independent/indie beauty brands — through direct B2B sales supported by participation in the major international cosmetics trade shows (MakeUp in Paris/LA/NY, Cosmoprof Bologna). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company does not sell to consumers and operates exclusively as a B2B manufacturer.

The go-to-market is built around a five-step bespoke partnership model with dedicated project managers, supplemented by a website funnel ("Start a project"), white papers, and LinkedIn presence. Sustainability credentials were formalized in 2025 via EcoVadis Bronze, AFNOR CSR Label, and European CSR Label certifications. Raphaël is part of Max Sauer Group alongside fine-arts brands Sennelier, Berge, Isabey, and Raphaël Fine Arts, giving it a unique position bridging fine-arts brushmaking heritage and modern cosmetics manufacturing.

Name

Raphaël

Legal name

Max Sauer SAS

Website

https://raphael-makeup-brushes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1793

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Raphaël is a 232-year-old French fine brush manufacturer (Max Sauer SAS) producing custom and private-label makeup brushes for global luxury beauty brands (Dior, Guerlain, YSL, Lancôme) and indie brands, with 780 employees across Saint-Brieuc and Mauritius producing 15 million brushes annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cosmetic Brush Manufacturing

NAICS

Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing (339994)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Makeup Brushes & Brush Sets (CRABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beauty Accessories (Puffs, Shields, Mixing Tools, Sharpeners) (CRABAKAL)

Keywords

• Custom makeup brushes
• Private label cosmetics
• Professional brush manufacturing
• Beauty brand OEM
• Fine brushmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-brieuc

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Brush Manufacturing: Raphaël designs and manufactures bespoke makeup brushes for beauty brands. They produce custom collections with personalized branding, handle shapes, colors, finishes, and fiber types. Minimum order quantities start at 3,000 units for customized brushes.
2. Standard Brush Catalog / Private Label: Sale of standard professional brushes from catalog with private label branding options. Categories include complexion, eyes, lips, spa, and accessories brushes. Customization available with branding through pad printing, hot stamping, or laser engraving.
3. Virucidal Brush Cleaner: First-ever virucidal brush cleaner certified EN14476+A2, active on Human Coronavirus strain 229E. Available in 50, 100, or 250mL spray bottles, customizable to brand.
4. Accessories (Cases, Sponges, Sharpening Tools): Professional makeup artist cases, travel cases, vegetal sponges, pre-cut sponges, pencil sharpeners, and manicure tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Raphaël designs and manufactures bespoke and private-label professional makeup brushes for global beauty brands. The company produces custom brush collections with personalized branding, handle shapes, colors, finishes, and fiber types, alongside a standard catalog covering complexion, eyes, lips, spa, and accessories. Minimum order quantities start at 3,000 units for customized brushes and 30 units for standard catalog items, supporting brands from concept development through production and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Brushes

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 million brushes produced annually across all facilities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Authentic MaterialcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022Partnership for development of Ocean Brush handle made from 50% shellfish (oyster waste from Atlantic coast) and 50% bioplastics from Ricin plant. Authentic Material provides the innovative recycled material technology.
• Look Good Feel BetterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaphaël supports Look Good Feel Better, the world's leading charitable organization providing aesthetic care for people affected by cancer. Donated 600 makeup brushes and launched first beauty workshop at public hospital in Saint-Brieuc.
• Blouses RosesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolidarity partnership supporting hospitalized children and elderly. Max Sauer made donations of €7,500 (regional) and €10,000 (national). Partner since 2020.
• SNSM (French National Society for Sea Rescue)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated €40,000 towards new rescue boat for Saint-Quay Portrieux station. Boat named Raphaël. Partnership since 2018.
• Alexis Tricoire (Vegetal Designer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored vegetal designer at International Garden Festival de Chaumont sur Loire 2021. Created installation 'A rebrousse-poil' featuring brush elements, culminating in sculpture with brush cap commissioned by Raphaël.
• Didier Ducauroy (Beekeeper)minorOthersProfessional beekeeper maintains 8 beehives installed around Max Sauer production sites since 2016. Produces honey used in Sennelier watercolor production. hives house up to 60,000 bees each including Ouessant black bee species.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brivaplast: Italian manufacturer of cosmetic applicators including brushes and lip/eye tools serving global beauty brands. Direct competitor in the European beauty applicator manufacturing segment.
• Geka GmbH: German-based manufacturer of cosmetic applicators including brushes, mascara wands, and applicator systems for the beauty industry. Direct competitor in high-precision cosmetic applicator manufacturing.
• HCT Group: Beauty applicator and packaging manufacturer producing makeup brushes and cosmetic tools for global beauty brands. Direct competitor in the contract-manufactured applicator space serving luxury and indie clients.
• Anisa International: US-based private label cosmetic brush manufacturer serving global beauty brands with custom and stock brush lines. Direct competitor to Rapha\u00ebl in the B2B custom-brush segment for luxury and mass-market cosmetics.
• Cosmogen: French beauty applicator and accessories manufacturer offering brushes, applicators, and skincare tools to beauty brands. Direct competitor sharing Rapha\u00ebl's French manufacturing heritage and B2B custom model.
• Pennelli Faro: Italian cosmetic brush manufacturer with comparable heritage, producing custom and private-label makeup brushes for global beauty brands. Direct competitor in European luxury custom brush manufacturing.
• Tokiwa Corporation: Japanese cosmetic brush manufacturer with global reach producing custom and private-label makeup brushes. Direct competitor especially in the Asian market and for brands seeking Japanese craftsmanship.

Broad incumbents

• Albea Group: Global beauty packaging giant offering a wide portfolio including applicators, brushes, tubes, and compacts. Broad incumbent whose brush business overlaps with Rapha\u00ebl but is part of a much wider packaging portfolio.
• Intercos: Italian beauty contract manufacturer producing color cosmetics, skincare, and applicator products including brushes for global luxury and mass beauty brands. Broad incumbent in beauty contract manufacturing with overlapping brush capabilities.

Emerging players

• MS Beautilab: Korean cosmetic brush manufacturer offering competitive private-label and custom brushes for global beauty brands, particularly strong in indie and K-beauty adjacent segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raphael-makeup-brushes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Raphaël